Y rubber stopper



April 29, 1952 F. C. GOSSETT Y RUBBER STOPPER Filed May 22, 1950 INVEN TOR.

fiPED C. GOSSETT BY ATTORNEYS Patented Apr. 29, 1952 UNITED STATES PATENT oFFlceI;

Y RUBBER STOPPER Fred C. 'Gossett, Glendale, Calif., assignor to Don Baxter, Inc., Glendale, Califi, a corporation of Nevada Application May 22, 1950, Serial No. 163,461 r r a Claims. (01. 285-210) s This invention relates to a Y rubber stopper and the process of producing the same and the invention is particularly directed to a rubber stopper intended for use as part of an administration set useful in giving a blood transfusion.

In giving a blood transfusion it is common practice to start the transfusion with a suitable sterile solution, such as a normal saline or a 5% dextrose solution, in order to be sure that the needle is properly situated within the patients vein and the precedureis going smoothly. After such smooth flow is established the'blood is allowed to run in. Finally, the solution is again run to wash the blood out of thetubing into the patient's vein. This practice creates a need of an administration assembly which permits either blood or solution at will to flow through the same needle. For this purpose a variety of assemblies have been used, ordinarily referred to as Y administration sets. In such administration sets one leg of the Y is connected to a solution bottle; another leg is connected to the blood bottle, and the thirdleg'connects to the tube leading to the needle.

In recent years there has been a trend toward the use of disposable administration sets, that is, sets which are intended; after use for one administration, to be discarded. This imposes the necessity for having the administration sets and units of which they are composed of the lowest possible cost and the Y assemblies previously employed have been too costly for use as disposable sets.

It is a general object of the present invention to provide a special molded rubber device or stopper which can be employed inthe construction of such a Y administration assembly and through its use permit the production of a sufiiciently low cost Y disposable administration set. The molded rubber device or stopper of the present invention is so constructed as to serve the purposes of a Y connection, a stopper, and a drip indicator.

The rubber stopper of the present invention has molded within the stopper a' Y connection, and a further object of the present invention is to provide both a form of stopper having such a Y connection which is capable of being molded, and also to provide a novel process for so molding a Y connection within the stopper. Various further objects and advantages of both the stopper' of the present invention and the process of producing the same will be more fully understood from the following description of a preferred example of the invention, the

description being given in connection with the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 illustrates an administration assembly utilizing the stopper of the present invent T.

Figure 2 is a plan view of the stopper;

Figure 3 is a plan view at right angles to Figure 2; v

Figure dis a section on the line 4-4 of Fig ure 2; v

Figure 51s a ure 3 r Referring to'the drawings, the stoppeiof the present invention comprises a body portion! which is intended to act as a plug or stopperfor one end of a transparent tube, the portion 2 being tapered to slightly contract in a down wardly direction. The portion 2 includes an upper flang '3 intended to set on the rim-oi the transparent tube to limit the insertion of the plug or stopper into the tube. Adjacent -the lower edge of the rim, the body 2 is provided with a small groove, such as indicated at 4,:fo'r forming a semi-locking fit with the rim of the transparent tube used in connection with the stopper. Above the flange 3 the stopper is pro vided with two tubular extensions 5 to "provide additional gripping surfaces for making connections to the tubing. At the lower end of the body 2 the stopper is tapered as indicated at 6 and l and terminates in a tubular outlet portion 8;

Internally .the stopper plug is provided with passageszwhich form a typical Y connection. Such passages comprise the'two upwardly di-' rected passages 9 which, within the body por tion 2, join to a single downwardly extending axial passage Ill. The upwardly extending pas:- sages 9 are continued through the upward tnbular extensions 5 and the downward passage continues through the outlet 8.

To render it possible that such a Y-shaped passage can be formed inside a plug during the operations of molding the plug, it is necessary to provide special means by which a Y-shaped molding pin can be removed from the molded plug. I have found that-this can be efi'ected by providing diametrically aligned narrow slots Ina or vein-like recesses along the single downwardly extending passage of the stopper. Within the body of the stopper the maximum distance between the slots is substantially equal to the maximum distance between the upper passages 9. Near the lower end of the body 2 these slots are decreased in thickness as insection on the line 5-5 of Fig-F dicated at 12 until the maximum distance-be- 3 tween the slots corresponds to the diameter of the outlet 8. There is thus left along the tapered lower end of the body a thin wall. This design permits a molding of the desired Y connection in a stopper. To form such a Y connection it is necessary to employ a mold pin, which mold pin is of a Y-shape corresponding to the passages 9; 9;" l0. Heretofore, there has been no way by which such a Y-shaped molding pin could be used during the molding of a rubber stopper and then removed from the molded.

stopper without rupturing the body of. the,

stopper. By the provision of the slot ma, which is considerably narrower than; the thickness'g-of;

the Y pin used in molding the-stopper; it; ispossible to withdraw that. molding pin downwardly.

In this operation since the width.of the slots,

is less than that of the molding'pin it is necessary to expand somewhat the stopper. and.

also when the branch ofthe molding pin reaches the portion 12 otthe stopper a-narrow tapered wall must there vbestretchedto allow the molding ,.pin.to bezremoved. This can be accomplished without rupturing the plug. Itisunderstood that this slot Illa, H is, in the mold ing operation. formed by two diametrically aligned :vanesE on the Y-shaped molding pin. The portion of the slit which is positioned in the .outlet- 8- may not, in all cases, be, essential but greatly facilitates removal of the molding ping-without: danger-zof rupturing the plug, I

have found that this'j slit in the outlet inno way ,lnterferes, with the intended functionof the. -,,outlet, which is. to form droplets of, blood rrsali s lu m Inusethe stopper; of the present invention is-ccnnected in the type of assembly illustrated in..F'ig ure,-1.- In .Figure 1, M indicates a bottle containing-asolution, such asa normal saline or 5%.? dextrosesolution, while [5 indicates a bottle containingblood to be administered. From the bottles-l4 and; I5 are respectively connected tubes ligand 1 1, ,whi-chtubes inturn are. connected with the.- tubular extensions 5' of the stopper of the present, invention. The stopper of, the presentinventionisrindicated as set in. the upper end of atransparent tube] 81 which=is intended to form azlpart ofua-drip, indicator. The lower end of said; tube may; be provided-with a filter l 9 and arplugxloz-which. connects. with the tubing .2l leadinggto anadministration .needle :22. The stopper oficthe-present invention .thus permits a. twowayconnection to thebottles-M and. I5 connect i-ng these -to;- a single outlet; whioh outletgis; adapted to act as atdrip 2011171617. Thestopper-of the. present invention may be sufiicientl'y econo-- mically' formed 3.51130: permit. the. assembly to be constructedat sufflciently low cost asto be dis-. posableaftera; single use.

While the particular;.form of the stopperot the present; invention herein' illustrated is .well

adapted tocarryout the objects of the invention.- thisrmvention Lisi. of: the scope: set: forth. in: the

appended 'cl'aimsz-lclaim;

l; A.-,=s'topper for an 4 administration. assemblymndinsgmszcsttnerebmtosiacilitate. there-3.!

,comprisingabody'adapted to be set in a cylindrical neck, said body having two upwardly extendingpassagesjoined to a single downwardly extending passage, extensions on the upper end of thebody aligned with and continuing the upwardly extending passages, the body being provided with, narrowv diametrically aligned slots extending from the downwardly directed :pas-

sage-to a width substantiallycorresponding to theseparation of the upwardly extendingpas sages, the lowervv end of the body being reduced indiameter and terminating in an outlet through which the downward passage extendathe width of the slot being reduced to the diameter of the. outlet. at v outlet. 1

4. A stopper, -for anadministration assembly comprising, amolded body adapted to be,- set in a cylindrical neck, two upwardly extending passages insaid body joined to a single downwardly.

- extendingpassage, the body having extensions; aligned-with the upwardly extending passages,

andft he passages continuing through said ex-.-

tensions, the .lower end of the body having anoutlet extension through which. the downward passages. continue, and diametrically aligned.

vein-like slots extending from the downward passage-the width of the, outlet extension-and above saidoutlet extensiony extending to substantially the distance between the upwardlyexr; in P s e 5. .A stopper? for=an.administration. assembly;

comprisingkasmolded body: having a slightly tapered outer surface so that said: body, may. act. as, a .stopper in a cylindrical-neck the body having. molded passages; within the body, ,including two: upwardly ,extending passagesjoined within, the, body ,to a v single axial j, downward passage, the body having extensions; -from its. up p er end. continuing. the; upwardly, extending passages. and having an outlet extension "from its. lower end. and continuing .thedownwardly.

extending passages, and .veinfshaped slots. in

the body, extending jromdiametric ,sides, of the.

downward passage to, facilitate-.remoyal of. a Y-shapedjmolding pin employedin forming, said passages...

FRED C.

REFERENCE SQCITEDQ file ,of this patent: v

N E STAT-BIS. PATENTS The,.,fo llowingreferences areioffl'record im thev aipoint on. the body spacedabove the 

